Am I real? Am I a fictional character?
Well, a little bit of both.
THE ANOREXIC FOOD CRITIC is a novel. Of course, as with most
things, there's a catch. Don't you remember how your high school English teacher always told
you to "write what you know"? I totally don't want to admit that anyone in high school could
actually be right, but in this case it's true.
My name is Jen duBay, and I'm the author of THE ANOREXIC FOOD CRITIC. Although
the situations in my novel are creations from the depth of my imagination, the emotions and issues are real.
When I was a kid, I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and wouldn't think twice about
it. At age thirteen, all that changed. Why? Long story (uh, that'd be a memoir) Anyway, during that time I felt guilty when I ate anything--even things like an apple. As if an apple was going to kill me! Isn't an apple a day supposed to keep the doctor away? Not if that's all you eat.
By the age of 15 I'd plummeted to a scary, unhealthy weight. When my mother threatened to take me to the doctor, I started gaining weight again. I knew that if someone qualified checked me out, he'd find something seriously wrong with me. So I changed my eating patterns, my thought patterns, whatever. I got over it. Or so I thought.
11 years went by, and my eating issues seemed to have dissolved. I got married, I had two
children. I gained gobs and heaps and tons of weight with my pregnancies--60 pounds with
my first!--but I didn't freak because I was eating healthy, what both the baby and I needed, and I lost the weight within six weeks of giving birth. Fitness helped (I'm a total exercise "vidiot"), so all was well.
Until I was faced with divorce.
The traumatic emotions of divorce, and the guilt over the possible repercussions my children
may feel, caused my emotional stability to plummet. Or was it something else, something I
can't define, something I don't know about? Impossible to say, and it doesn't matter anyway.
All I know is, I got divorced and met a guy who was a culinary professional at nearly the same time. Ack! My ED reared it's ugly head again, this time more convulsive than ever. Not only did my new guy constantly pressure me about eating every last drop of buerre blanc sauce off his restaurant-sized platters, but he was also emotionally and verbally abuse. Not a good combo, for sure. And so, The Anorexic Food Critic was born.
I've found writing to be totally cathartic. That, and finally admitting to friends and family that
I have a problem. I know I'll struggle with my ED for the rest of my life--sort of like an
alcoholic, although I totally hate to admit it--but dealing with it through my novels will help me
continue, from one day to the next, to eat properly and nutritiously. Writing keeps me from
delving into the extremes.
If you're wondering what I do in my non-writing life, I'm a fitness professional--how
appropriate, huh? I'm the owner/operator of Advanced Workouts DVD.
If you have your own ED story, or just want to chat, please contact me. I'd love to hear from
you.
Well, a little bit of both.
THE ANOREXIC FOOD CRITIC is a novel. Of course, as with most
things, there's a catch. Don't you remember how your high school English teacher always told
you to "write what you know"? I totally don't want to admit that anyone in high school could
actually be right, but in this case it's true.
My name is Jen duBay, and I'm the author of THE ANOREXIC FOOD CRITIC. Although
the situations in my novel are creations from the depth of my imagination, the emotions and issues are real.
When I was a kid, I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and wouldn't think twice about
it. At age thirteen, all that changed. Why? Long story (uh, that'd be a memoir) Anyway, during that time I felt guilty when I ate anything--even things like an apple. As if an apple was going to kill me! Isn't an apple a day supposed to keep the doctor away? Not if that's all you eat.
By the age of 15 I'd plummeted to a scary, unhealthy weight. When my mother threatened to take me to the doctor, I started gaining weight again. I knew that if someone qualified checked me out, he'd find something seriously wrong with me. So I changed my eating patterns, my thought patterns, whatever. I got over it. Or so I thought.
11 years went by, and my eating issues seemed to have dissolved. I got married, I had two
children. I gained gobs and heaps and tons of weight with my pregnancies--60 pounds with
my first!--but I didn't freak because I was eating healthy, what both the baby and I needed, and I lost the weight within six weeks of giving birth. Fitness helped (I'm a total exercise "vidiot"), so all was well.
Until I was faced with divorce.
The traumatic emotions of divorce, and the guilt over the possible repercussions my children
may feel, caused my emotional stability to plummet. Or was it something else, something I
can't define, something I don't know about? Impossible to say, and it doesn't matter anyway.
All I know is, I got divorced and met a guy who was a culinary professional at nearly the same time. Ack! My ED reared it's ugly head again, this time more convulsive than ever. Not only did my new guy constantly pressure me about eating every last drop of buerre blanc sauce off his restaurant-sized platters, but he was also emotionally and verbally abuse. Not a good combo, for sure. And so, The Anorexic Food Critic was born.
I've found writing to be totally cathartic. That, and finally admitting to friends and family that
I have a problem. I know I'll struggle with my ED for the rest of my life--sort of like an
alcoholic, although I totally hate to admit it--but dealing with it through my novels will help me
continue, from one day to the next, to eat properly and nutritiously. Writing keeps me from
delving into the extremes.
If you're wondering what I do in my non-writing life, I'm a fitness professional--how
appropriate, huh? I'm the owner/operator of Advanced Workouts DVD.
If you have your own ED story, or just want to chat, please contact me. I'd love to hear from
you.
| EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
AFC (Well, not really, but it sounds good.) |
Copyright
© 2005 Jen duBay. All Rights Reserved.